EastEnders star makes soap return 12 years after exit in huge twist
Former EastEnders actress Kellie Shirley is making waves as she gears up for her debut on Casualty.
Best known for playing Carly Wicks in the BBC One hit, Kellie has taken a dramatic turn, securing the role of nurse Sophia Peters in the esteemed medical series, a whole 12 years after waving goodbye to Albert Square.
Anticipation is high as Kellie's inaugural scenes are set to grace our screens this coming Saturday, 27 July. In a bid to whip up excitement, she embarked on a promotional tour, kicking off with an appearance on ITV's Lorraine.
Subbing in for Lorraine Kelly, Christine Lampard hosted the chat, where Kellie dished on the behind-the-scenes action and teased what viewers can expect from her fresh persona.
Kellie remained resolute in keeping Casualty's plot under wraps, but she couldn't resist sharing some behind-the-scenes titbits. She confessed to being "a mess" during filming due to the intense nature of her storyline, reports the Mirror.
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Having recently become a mother, with a six-month-old baby often accompanying her on set, Kellie found her first Casualty storyline particularly harrowing, involving the death of a young child.
In conversation with Christine, Kellie touched on the emotional challenges of the role, saying: "My first storyline was really quite heavy, it was about - I don't want to spoil it too much but it has been out - a baby who passes.
"It was really hard to play these scenes because I was thinking my role as a nurse you have to be very professional, she's probably come up against this before and seen things like this before."
Lorraine: Kellie spoke with Christine Lampard (Image: ITV)The actress added: "But for me, I was a bit of a mess because I had my baby in my dressing room when I was going in-between takes and feeding him and then having this little baby on set..." Christine agreed: "It was hard to switch off. I'd be absolutely the same."
BBC viewers will likely recall Kellie for her well-known role as Carly Wicks - the daughter of Shirley Carter - portrayed by Linda Henry. She held the role for two years from 2006 before making a swift exit, only to return in 2012 to reprise her character.
In 2008, Carly left Albert Square alongside Denise Fox (Diane Parish). Her dream was to travel the world, a desire she wished to fulfil following the death of her father Kevin.
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She and Denise departed Walford together to scatter his ashes.
While Denise returned to her previous life, Carly continued her globetrotting adventure, making a pit stop in Thailand before eventually settling down in Australia. It wasn't until 2012 that Carly's character once again made waves in Walford.
She had given birth to a little boy, and Denise wanted to inform Shirley that she was now a grandmother. The news prompted Shirley to reach out, but her calls were rebuffed by Carly, leading to Shirley's emotional breakdown.
In no time, Carly returned to the soap, striving to rescue her mum, with the duo reconciling and ultimately departing together.
Lorraine airs weekdays at 9am on ITV.
EastEnders star makes soap return 12 years after exit in huge twist
EastEnders star makes soap return 12 years after exit in huge twist
EastEnders star makes soap return 12 years after exit in huge twist
EastEnders star makes soap return 12 years after exit in huge twist
EastEnders star makes soap return 12 years after exit in huge twist
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